Method of making hollow poppet valves



1948- K. BARTLETT ETAL 2,452,628

METHOD OF-MAKING HOLLOW POPPET VALVES Filed Aug. 25, 1944 2 Shets-Sheet 1 Kenneth. Barllelft mf Edward G Pekar'ek ZNMENZ U55 Nay. 2, 1948.. K.'M. BARTLETT ElAL 2,452,633

METHOD OF MAKING HOLLOW POPPET VALVES Filed Au 25, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 NMEN U 5 KenneIfkjlBartZeZT Edward G. Pekcarek zmzz Patented Nov. 2, 1948 METHOD OF MAKING HOLLOW POPPET VALVES Kenneth M. Bartlett and Edward G. Pekarek, Cleveland, Ohio, assignors to Thompson Prod ucts, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application August 25. 1944, Serial No. 551,179

2 Claims.

This invention relates to methods of manufacturing hollow poppet valves from heavy-walled seamless tubing.

Specifically, the invention deals with the production of hollow stem or hollow head and stem poppet valves for internal combustion engines from metal tubing by simple extruding and coining operations.

According to this invention, seamless tubing, cut to proper length increments, is heated to forging temperatures and the cut length is dropped into an extrusion die coacting with a punch equipped with a projecting mandrel or pin. The pin fits freely in the tubing length, and the end face of the punch forces the tube through the extruding throat of the die thereby collapsing the tube around the mandrel or pin and extruding the thick wall of the tube into hollow valve stem diameter. The mandrel does not project completely through the tube length, so that the initial extruding operation collapses the leading end of the tube length for closing this end. A pipe is formed through the center of the closed end of the tube. This pipe is later covered by a welded-on tip, in one embodiment of the invention.

The mandrel or pin projects, forwardly from the active face of the punch a sufficient distance so that it enters the throat of the extrusion die immediately above the closed end of the tube for preventing complete collapse of the tube above the closed end to thereby maintain a hole in the tube. The extrusion operation is terminated before the entire tube is forced through the extrusion throat, so that the resulting extruded tube has a long, hollow portion closed at one end thereof and terminating in an enlarged head or. nubbin at the other end thereof. The head or .nubbin is coined into valve head shape and size, and a pin or mandrel on the coining punch maintains the hole from the stem cavity through the coned head. If desired, the coining punch can have an expanding portion to form a hollow head.

The hollow stem but solid head valve has the hole through the valve head thereof closed with a welded-in plug, while the hollow stem, hollow head valve has the open hollow head cavity covered with a welded-on disk.

The pipe through the closed end of the-stem is covered with a welded-on tip.

In another embodiment of the invention, the tube length is initially closed at one end thereof with a welded-in plug prior to the extruding operation. This plug covers the pipe in the closed end of the resulting valve stem to form a tip on the valve stem.

It is, then, an objectof this invention to form hollow poppet valves from seamless tubing by simple extruding and coining operations.

A still further object of the invention is to produce hollow poppet valves for internal combustion engines from thick-walled seamless tubing.

Another object of the invention is toproduce hollow poppet valves from seamless tubing by simultaneously extruding a tube blank through an extrusion die while completely closing one end of the tube length and while preventing complete collapse of the other end of the tube length with an inserted mandrel.

A still further object of the invention is to completely close one end of a seamless tube by an extruding operation while supporting the major portion of the length of the tube on a mandrelduring a continued extruding operation to produce a valve stem having a closed tip end anda hollow cavity extending from said tip end.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a method of making hollow poppet valves from seamless tubing involving the formation of a tip endon the valve stem by extruding operations from a plug inserted in an end of the tube prior to the extruding operation.

Other and further objects of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of the annexed sheets of drawings which, by way of preferred examples only, illustrate several embodiments oi the invention.

On the drawings:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal cross-sectionalview of a length of thick-walled seamless tubing from which the valves of this invention are made.

Figure 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view, with a fragmentary part shown in side elevation, of an extrusion die and punch assembly containing the tube length of Figure 1 and illustrating the arrangement and positions of the parts at the start of the extruding operation.

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 but illustrating the partially collapsed condition of the tube during the first part of the extruding operation.

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 but illustrating a more advanced stage of the extruding operation.

Figure 5 is a View similar to-Figure 4 but illustrating the shape and arrangement of the parts at the completion of the extruding operation.

Figure 6 is a vertical cross-sectional view, with a fragmentary part in side elevation, illustrating the valve body formed from the extruded body of Figure in a coining die and punch assembly arranged to form a solid head on the extruded blank.

Figure 7 is a view similar to Figure 6 but illustrating the formation of a hollow head on the valve body.

Figure 8 is a vertical cross-sectional View of a hollow stem, hollow head valve produced from the body of Figure '7.

Figure 9 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a hollow stem, solid head valve produced from the valve body of Figure 6.

Figure 10 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a length of seamless tubing having a plug welded into one end thereof to provide the starting blank for a modified process according to this invention.

Figure 11 is a view similar to Figure 2 with the blank of Figure 10 inserted in the die.

Figure 12 is a view similar to Figure 3 but illustrating the blank of Figure 10.

Figure 13 is a View similar to Figure 4 but illustrating the blank of Figure 10.

Figure 14 is a view similar to Figure 5 but illustrating the blank of Figure 10.

Figure 15 is a view similar to Figure 6 but illustrating a valve body produced from the blank of Figure 10.

Figure 16 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a hollow stem, solid head poppet valve produced from the blank of Figure 10.

As shown on the drawings:

In Figure 1 the reference numeral l9 designates generally a length of thick-walled seamless tubing formed of any desired valve metal that can be extruded. The blank ii! is heated to forging temperatures and dropped into an extrusion die 3 I having a slightly tapered receiving cavity Ha, the side walls of which converge slightly toward an extrusion throat Hb which discharges through a cylindrical hole No. A ram or punch l2 has a cylindrical side wall 12a adapted to fit freely into the die recess i la. The punch has an active flat face or leading end 12b for acting on the top of the tube ill. A mandrel or pin |2c projects from the center of the face [2b and is of a predetermined length so that it will not project completely through the tube it when the end face 12b of the punch is forcing the tube through the extrusion throat, as best shown in Figure 3.

In Figure 3, the active face 12?) of the punch I2 has engaged the top of the tube and has forced the tube into tapered conformity with the die wall Ila to provide a tapered side wall Illa on the tube, and to provide a more sharply con-v verging leading end it?) on the tube conforming with the shape of the extrusion throat lib of the die. This extruding operation on the tube collapses the original bore of the tube which freely receives the mandrel 20 into tight conformity around the mandrel 20 thereby forming a cylindrical hole lilo of much smaller diameter than the original inside diameter of the tube. The mandrel Ito terminates above the bottom end of the tube, and the interior of the tube collapses along a tapered path iild in advance of the mandrel I20.

As shown in Figure 4, the extruding operation has continued to a point where a portion llle of the tube has passed through the discharge hole its and has a much smaller diameter than the original tube. The tapered hole portion lfid has collapsed to a pipe iii producing a solid tip end for valve stem. The leading end of the mandrel E20 has reached the level of the discharge end of the extrusion throat lib and maintains the cylindrical hole its in the extruding blank. The metal moves away from the leading end of the mandrel but is not extruded beyond the leading end, since the discharge hole lllc is cylindrical and does not further subject the metal to radial pressure.

The metal is further extruded between the mandrel We and the extrusion throat lib as shown in Figure 5 to form an elongated hollow stem iilg with the cylindrical cavity lilo along the length thereof converging inwardly as at ltd to the closed pipe it) at the solid end We of the stem.

The extruding operation is terminated before the tube is forced completely through the extruding throat so that a head portion liih remains on the upper end of the tube.

The extruded tube of Figure 5 is then placed in a coining die it of Figure 6. This coining die has a cylindrical hole l3a therethrough which flares outwardly at the upper end thereof as at 5319 to provide a valve head recess. This valve head recess has a flat bevel portion 530 on the outer end of the outwardly flaring portion (31) terminating in a straight upstanding cylindrical wall l3d.

A coining punch It has a fiat active leading end face 14a from which a cylindrical pin lib extends. This pin Nib is of the same diameter as the mandrel lie and fits into the hole We of the extruded tube.

The punch M presses the head lfih of the tube shown in Figure 5 into the head-forming cavity of the coining die l3 and a poppet valve body member i5 is thereby produced. This body member l5 has a hollow cylindrical stem a closed at the bottom 15b thereof but still having the pipe 58 therethrough. The stem E ia extends to an outwardly flaring valve neck lEc which merges into a tapered valve seat face E511. and an upstanding cylindrical peripheral wall 56 together with a flat top wall lb The valve body I5, as shown in Figure 9, has the rounded end wall of the closed end 151) thereof cut off and a tip it of hard, wearable material is welded onto the cut-off end to seal the pipe Ill The hollow stem [5a is partially filled with coolant C such as sodium. It will be noted that the stem cavity extends completely through the valve head and is closed by means of a weldedin plug H. The plug ll fits into the hole I00 and is preferably welded into the mouth of the hole at the head of the valve by electrical current which does not heat the metal except locally at the welding area thereof.

As shown in Figure 7, the extruded tube member from Figure 5 can be placed in a coining die l8 similar to the die 13 but having the cylindrical hole I8a thereof flaring outwardly along a convex path l8b to an inclined beveled peripheral wall lBc terminating in an upstanding cylindrical rim wall Hid, The coining punch l9 has a cylindrical wall i9a of smaller diameter than the wall 18d of the die together with a beveled shoulder 19b and a concave tapered portion 490 converging to a cylindrical pin I 9d of the same diameter as the hole diameter Etc of the blank.

The die l8and'punch l9 compress :the headed; end lfihof the blank'into ahollow valve headform:

thereby producinga hollow stem hollow head valve body 26. The body 25] has a cylindrical hollow stem 29a formed from the hollow stem part l-llh of the blankand closed at one end 261) thereof except for the pipe lily thereth'rough. The stem 28a flares outwardly at the upper end thereof to provide'a-"valve neck 2ilcw-hich is formed between the die wall lSb and the punch wall I90. The neck 28c terminates in-arrupwardly inclined seating :fac'e 320d: formed. between the punch'shoulder i912 and the bevel face lBc. An upstanding peripheral rimwall 286 is formed between the cylindrical wall Hid of the die and'the cylindrical wall l9a ofzithepimch.

A: finished valve 2i! is made from the :blankxof Figure .7 as illustrated in Figure 8 by closing the pipezlfifi with a tip 2| welded to the c1osedend Zfib'of the stem 26a.

As shown in Figure 8, the stem cavity lllc is 'partially'filledwith coolant C such as sodium. The head of the valve has an enlarged cavity 20f merging with the stem cavity lllc. A fiat metal disk 221s welded on the upstanding rim 29c of the valve head around a weld line 23 produced preferably by projection welding.

From the above descriptions of Figures 1 to 9 it will be understood that either a hollow head and hollow stem poppet valve, or a hollow stem and solid head poppet valve, can be formed by simple extruding and coining operations from a seamless tube length which is initially open at both ends and then has one end collapsed to produce a closed pipe sealed with a welded-on tip.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figures 10 to 16, the welded-on tip is formed from a plug welded into the initial tube length.

As shown in Figure 10, a length of thick-walled seamless tubing 30 receives, in one end thereof,

above in connection with Figure 2. The tube 36,

at the start of the welding operation, rests on the converging wall l lb of the punch l I.

As shown in Figure 12, the active face I21) of the punch l2 has forced the tube 30 into the extrusion die so that the tapered die wall lla has collapsed the tube into conformity therewith providing a tapered wall 30a thereon, while the tapered wall I lb of the die has formed a tapered portion 38b. The inside of the tube has been collapsed around the mandrel lie to provide a cylindrical hole 390 of much smaller diameter than the original inside diameter of the tube. The portion of the tube in advance of the mandrel 380 has been collapsed as at 39d to a closed end 302 with a pipe 38] therein. The plug M has I:

the portion 3 la projecting into the tube squeezed into a necked-down portion sealing the pipe 38 The projecting portion 3th of the plug is somewhat elongated to form a rounded leading end on the assembly entering the discharge hole llc of the extrusion die.

As shown in Figure 13, the extrusion operation is continued to force through a solid end Bile with a pipe 33] th'erethrough covered by the plug SI and followed by a hollow stem portion 339 which til 62 is-:formed between the 'mandrela: l 2c and r the exi-i trusionth'roat llb.

The. extrusionibperation: is continued as ,.de-. scribed intconnectioniwith Figure .5-to produce theextruded blankyof Figure 14 which has the:

hollo-wstemrportion tilgand the head portion 30h with; the-stern cavity 360 extending through the headr portion 36b.

The blanki of Figure leiscoined as shown in Figure vl5 in th-edie 32 as described connection with 'Figure 6,: anda plunger 33 has a flat active leading-face 33a with a projecting central mandreleorpinzfisb for maintaining thehole tile of the-blank. A valve body'35 is thus produced.

;This;valve-body has a hollow stem 350. with a closedstip-endti'ab having; the pipe therethro-ugh-sealed by the welded-in plug 35. The valve body 35 :has anoutwardly flaring neck 35c, aabeveled seating face-35d, an upstanding cyline drical peripheral-wall and a flat top face 35f.

A-finished valve is produced from the body 35 as shownrin Figure 16 by filling the stem cavity with. coolant C such as sodium, by grinding off theeplugisl to provide a fiat end thereon, and

by-=welding a plug 35 into the upper end of the stem: cavity in-=the head of the valve.-

Obviously, of course, the coining operation of Figure 7 could be used in place of the operation shown in Figure 15 to produce a hollow stem and hollow head valve.

The modification of the process as illustrated in Figures 10 to 16 therefore provides a valve with a shaped tip end closing the pipe through the closed end of the valve stem.

The processes herein illustrated and specifically described are only two embodiments of processes according to this invention for producing a hollow poppet valve from seamless tubing by simple coining and ex rusion methods.

It will, of course. be understood that various details of construct on may be varied through a wide range without departing from the principles of this invent on and it is, therefore, not the purpose to limit the patent granted hereon otherwise tban necessitated by the scope of the appended claims.

We c aim as our inven ion:

1. The method of making bodies for ho low poppet valves from thick-walled seamless tub ng having an outside diameter less than the d ameter desired for the finished valve head and an inside diameter greater than the desired d ameter for stem cavity of the fin shed valve stem which comprises inserting a relatively short length of said tubing into a tapered die having a tapered extrusion throat converging to a circular ho e of valve stem diameter, inserting a short mandrel into said tube to terminate intermediate the ends of the tube, centering the mandrel in the tube in spaced relation from the interior tube wall, pressing an end face of the tube without deforming the contour of said end face to force the opposite end through said extrusion throat and to collapse the tube into conformity with the tapered die wall, simultaneously collapsing said opposite end of the tube in advance of the mandrel to form a solid leading end on the tube, extruding a portion of the collapsed tube through said hole to form a solid valve stem end portion, aligning the leading end of the mandrel in the central portion. of said circular hole, continuing the extruding o ation around said mandrel to form hol ow valve stem of desired length, terminating the extruding operation before the pressed end portion of the tube has been forced through the extrusion throat to leave a head of appreciable mass on the tube and having a, neck portion conforming to the shape of the extrusion throat, removing the mandrel from the resulting blank, removing the blank from the die, seating the head of the blank in a coining die having a die cavity of desired valve head and neck contour, inserting another mandrel into the head end of the blank, and coining the head end of the blank around said second mandrel to increase the diameter of the head of the blank and to form the head into the desired valve head shape without deforming the original contour of the end face of the tube.

2. The method of making a hollow poppet valve from tubing which comprises inserting a metal plug partially into one open end of an open-ended thick-walled metal tube, securing the plug to the tube with a portion of the plug of less diameter than the outside diameter of the tube projecting from the tube end, inserting a, mandrel into the other end of the tube to a depth terminating in spaced relation from the plug, extruding the plugged end of the tube to first form a rounded leading valve stem tip end of plug material from the projecting portion of the plug, continuing the extrusion in advance of the mandrel to form a solid valve stem end composed of a piped 001- lapsed tube portion having the pipe sealed by the plug, further continuing the extrusion around the mandrel to form a hollow valve stem, terminating the extrusion in advance of the trailing open end of the tube, and coining the open trailing end of the tube into valve head shape and size.

KENNETH M. BARTLETT. EDWARD G. PEKAREK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS in the 

